Cold Call After Swopping Utility Supplier Throlugh MSE Cheap Energy Club

[Deleted User]

After having a knock on my door a couple of years ago from one of a team of people saying they were from MSE website and wanting to sign me up to a supposedly cheaper than anyone else supplier (they even had a pad with what seemed to be the MSE Money Saving Club Webpage on it) - smelling a stinky fish I didn't engage with them but it was a bit unnerving.  Now, my fixed term is ending, so I used the MSE Money Saving Club to change suppliers.  I didn't use any other sites.  

Today I had a phone call from someone saying they were from Money Expert, noticed I had gone on the site to change utility supplier and would I like their help.  The name wasn't quite correct and the person calling didn't seem aware I had actually already changed supplier.  I informed the caller of this, then she asked if I wanted to save money on any of my other bills.  I said I was very uncomfortable with her call and rang off.

Now, I have a fairly new mobile number, not commonly known, and she obviously knew that I had gone to the MSE Money Saving Club website to look at changing utility supplier.  Does MSE Money Saving Club do follow up calls like this or was it another spam company?  I am a bit concerned how they obtained my new mobile number if so, I am very careful with phishing emails.  Don't do anything to give my details out.  So if it wasn't MSE, how did they get this information that I was seeking to change supplier and the new mobile number?

I can't find a way to email or phone MSE Money Saving Club to ask if they do follow on calls.  It may seem a bit OTT but I am a bit concerned how this phone call happened.  Only three places knew I changed supplier, MSE Money Saving Club, the suppler I left and the supplier I changed to.   I am a bit nervous, and don't really want people knocking on my door or more marketing phone calls.  It scares me (I have cold call blocking on my landline, am very careful who I give my details to).  I regularly use software to remove cookies, tracking information etc.  The utility company I swopped to didn't offer the cashback MSE normally gives with larger companies, maybe that was why the call happened.

[Deleted User]

Hi,

bit  confused, you say you used the MSE Money Saving Club?

Did you mean the MSE Cheap Energy Club (CEC) if so you can contact them here click.

You are right the CEC normally gives £25 switch reward.

[Deleted User]

Yep, my fault, cheap energy club.  Had what the phone call said locked in my brain.  Oh well, will try the link to see if they do follow up calls.  I suspect not but we will see.  Thank you for the clarification and link.

[Deleted User]

Hi,

I've used CEC before and never had a follow up call, all done by email, usually a quick 'welcome' type thing then updates as things progress, and I've had the £25 cashback.

[Deleted User]

deannatrois said:

 The utility company I swopped to didn't offer the cashback MSE normally gives with larger companies, maybe that was why the call happened.

Hi,

it's the CEC that gives the cashback, not the new supplier, click.

timjim

The OP says "Today I had a phone call from someone saying they were from Money Expert,". This is nothing to do with mse or cheap energy club so who did they use to switch

[Deleted User]

timjim said:

The OP says "Today I had a phone call from someone saying they were from Money Expert,". This is nothing to do with mse or cheap energy club so who did they use to switch

Hi,

a quick google finds that as a comparison site as well, maybe used them by mistake.

[Deleted User]

No I quite definitely used the cheap energy club as I had to log in, they had the name of the utility company I was using that I was almost at the end of the fixed term.  I used the words Money Expert as that's what the person on the phone said.

Gerry1

Relax.

Money Expert is nothing to do with Money Saving Expert or the Cheap Energy Club.  It doesn't help that they use the same font.

It's no different to getting nuisance calls claiming to be from Microsoft, BT, Openreach, Sky, Visa, Mastercard, 'the Bank' or about the Road Traffic Accident that you never had.  If you call sufficient people claiming to be from some well known organisation, it won't be long before you reach someone to whom it seems relevant.

They don't limit their calls to people in the Phone Book, they just go through the allocated number ranges.  Overseas call centres in third world countries also leak information: when I was a BT customer I gave them a unique disposable email address: I've since blocked it, and I note that it's received 1755 spam emails !

Similarly, if you've called companies without withholding your number, it may have been harvested.  You can usually withhold a mobile number on a per call basis by prefixing the dialled number with #31#.

Just hang up and report all offenders to the ICO.  Also register with the Telephone Preference Service via 0800 398 893 and opt out of junk mail delivered by Royal Mail.